Courts and Law Brooklyn Boro

SIDEBAR: Criminal and matrimonial attorney David M. Chidekel

August 3, 2015 By Rob Abruzzese Brooklyn Daily Eagle

David M. Chidekel is a criminal and matrimonial lawyer with 25 years of experience. In addition, he is an officer in the Brooklyn Bar Association, a past president of the Nathan R. Sobel Inn of Court and an active member of the Brooklyn Women’s Bar and the New York State Bar. Eagle photo by Rob Abruzzese

David M. Chidekel is a criminal and matrimonial lawyer with 25 years of experience. In addition, he is an officer in the Brooklyn Bar Association, a past president of the Nathan R. Sobel Inn of Court and an active member of the Brooklyn Women’s Bar and the New York State Bar. Eagle photo by Rob Abruzzese

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David M. Chidekel has been a practicing attorney in New York City for 25 years. Educated in New York, he attended Stuyvesant High School and eventually went to Hunter College as an undergraduate, received an M.B.A. in Healthcare Management at Boston University and eventually earned his J.D. at the University of Miami.

Chidekel’s office is located on Madison Avenue in Manhattan, but he is very active in the Brooklyn legal community. He is the immediate past president of the Nathan R. Sobel Inn of Court, the second vice president of the Brooklyn Bar Association and an active member of the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association.

What inspired you to study law?

The desire to find a career where I individually can impact positively on people’s lives.

How did you decide upon your area of legal expertise?

Through experience in litigation and trying different areas of law, and the areas I practice in gave me the most satisfaction.

What is it like to be a lawyer in Brooklyn?

It is exciting. You see the rapid changes to the community and the law. There are so many excellent lawyers that it forces you to be on your toes and keep current with the law and new applications of and techniques in litigation.

What was your most memorable case and why?

I’ve had so many that it’s hard to pick just one. One recent case was to obtain permission for a woman to relocate from New York with her child to escape from the father of the child who conducted a campaign of harassment against her and refused to pay child support. A very important group of cases was four innocent people who I was able to obtain their freedom after trial.

What has been your proudest moment as an attorney?

When I was an assistant DA years ago I visited a crime scene and saw the aftermath of an attack by a deranged father on his infant son. The father had repeatedly slammed the child against a wall, maiming and killing the infant. I worked very hard, and I believe sensitively, to convince the father to confess and save the family the prolonged grief of a trial. And there have been cases as a private attorney, when I fought successfully for someone I knew to be innocent.

What changes would you like to see in Brooklyn’s legal community?

Not a change but to accelerate the incorporation of all the people and organizations of the Brooklyn legal community to work together for the citizens of the borough… and for those citizens to recognize the ‘pro bono publico’ work we do.

What is one fact about you that people would find surprising?

Two things, my work as a songwriter and musician and how mean I can be at trial.

If you weren’t a lawyer what career would you pursue?

Music or health care management.

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